Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1887-03-14
POPULAR SCIENCE.

Va u Aab 0O4GAOAs
An extremely useful cement for expert
mental use is made from equal quantities
OF gutta percha and white pine pitch
melted together. The compound should
be without Jumps. it improves by re-
melting and softeus at about the tempera-
ture of boiling water,
Prof. Jaeger claims that the odor of
camePs hair, which is so distin guisbable,
has most beneficial use. He asserts
that it produces sleep in persons suffer-
ing from insomnia, and be advises them
to sleep on pillows covered with cancels
hair and stuffed with hair.
Prof. Thomson claims that where quick
heating is required electricity may be re-
lied upon, and results are cited where, in
welding. broken iron bars may be Sc
curely joined with great rapidly and
strength. In forging the electric current,
according TO the reports given, will prove
of interest and, when better understood.
will place this new principle in every
workshop. Metal.workers and irou-
mongers will prefer electric force to flame.
tor it il seid tho chief essentials of the
apparatus are the direct means OF getting
heavy currents through metal without
loss.
An ingenious device for stretching
emery cloth for use in workshops consists
of couple OF strips of wood about IA
inches long, hinged longitudinally, and
of round, half-round, triangular or any
other shape in cross section. On the in
side faces OF the wood strips are pointed
studs, taking into holes IN the opposite
side. The strip of emery cloth is laid on
to one set of the studs. and the file, as it
is called, closed. which fixes the strip on
one side. 1t is then similarly fixed on the
other side ana thus constitutes what is
called an emery file, and which is handy
and cOnvenien for workshop
use.
An important discovery was recently
made by the French chemist, Nj. Moissan,
This is the preparation OF tuOr by the
electrical decomposition of fluorhydric
acid. AT the positive pole appears
gaseous body, believed to be f1uor, and at
the negative pole hydrogen. The proper
ties OF f1uor are of very vrul9nt char
acter. For instance, 1t decomposes cold
water, producing oZcnized oxygen. Sui
phur and iodine burn in 1t. Cold crys-
tallne silicium burns IN it with a bright
flame and forms fiuoride OF silicium. Iron
slightly heated burns in it, and organic
bodies are strongly attacked and charred;
while alcohol, ether, turpentine, benzlne
and petroleum burn on coming into con-
tact with it.
To drill holes in glass a common steel
drill, well made and well tempered. is the
best tool. The steel should be forged at q
low temperature, so as to be sure not to
burn 1t, and then tempered as hard as
possible in bath of salt water that has
been well boiled. Such drill will go
through glass very rapidly If Kept well
moistened with turpeDune in which some
camphor has been dissolved Diluted
sulphuric acid is equally good, If not bet
ter 1t Is stated that at Berlin glass
castings for pump barrels, etc., are
drilled, planed and bored like iron ones
and in the same lathe and machines by
the aid of sulphuric acid. A little Drac-
tice with these different plans will enable
the operator to cut and work glass as
easily as brass or iron.
Ballard, OF Rouen, has patented a dis
cOyery which, ii actually what 1t is stated
to be, will have tar-reaching consequen-
ces. 1t is for converting Bon-saponifiable
oils into saponifiable oils, and so admit
ting the whole class of mineral oils to all
the uses OF fat oils. The change is effect
ed by oxidation; in the provisional spe-
cification be says that his discovery is
based on the fact that Oleic acid possesses
in n high degree the property OF transfer
ring to mineral oils portion of its oXy-
gen; the same property resides in acri-
cylic or acrOleic acid and animal or vege-
table fats in rancid state. In the COM
plete specification the use Of chlorine as
an oxidizing agent is mentioned along
with basic oxides. Mineral oils treated
as described are said to be perfectly sp-
plicable for use in the wooden ma0ufac-
ture, and by the addition G6tu0t' 10
per cent by weight or 1SecVegetable oils,
such as cotton, castor, etc. are being
employed as mordants in dyeing fabrics
composed OF vegetable fibres."
A newly patented composition for re-
moving ink without injury TO paper, cloth
or other substances consists OF two COM
positions, to be applied one after the other.
For No. 1: Two quarts OF water, which
has been previously boiledand cooled, are
taken. Four ounces OF cltric acid are
added, and after the acid has been dis
solved six to eight ounces OF strong
strained solution OF borax are added,
after which the whole may be put in "A
bottle or suitable receptacle. No. 2: Two
quarts OF water which has been preyi-
ously boiled and cooled are taken, adding
thereto three-quarters OF a pound OF chic
ride OF lime. The whole Is we'll shaken
and left TO stand from four to SIX days,
after which ii is strained, and then from
six TO eight ounces Of strong solution
OF borax are added, and the whole Is
placed in a separate bottle. When it is
desired to remove ink from paper, cloth
or other absorbent substance, the compo-
sition in bottle No. 10 applied 80 as to
thoroughly saturate the place occupied
by ink. a blOJter being used TO absorb all
waste moisture. The composition In the
second bottle 10 then applied. BY the
combined use Of the two fluids thus de-
scribed writing inks or other writing
fluids will he Immediately dissolved and
removed from paper, 80 that the latter
may be again written on.